Separator



May 21, 1940. F. Y. HUTCHISON SEPARATOR Filed July 6, 1938 g] 1 wen M04: I Y. Huz'chfsan Patented May 21, 1940 PATENT OFFICE SEPARATOR Frank Young Hutchison,

Houston, Tex., assignor to Houston Pipe Line Company, Houston, Tex.,

a corporation of Texas Application July 6, 1938, Serial No. 217,771

1 Claim.

This invention relates generally to separators, and more particularly to separators designed to remove liquid or heavy particles of gas from gaseous vapors The main object of the invention is to provide a separator of the character referred to which is positively automatic in its operation, and of such simple construction as to involve the use of a minimum number of parts.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a central, vertical section through the separator taken substantially on the line I-l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the separator with parts thereof broken away and shown in sections to illustrate details of construction;

Figure 3 is a vertical, transverse section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross section, to an enlarged scale, of the adsorption element of the separator. u

Referring now to the drawing in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts in the several figures thereof, the separator {comprises an inlet pipe5 adapted to be connected to a source of supply of the gas or vapor to be separated. This pipe 5 extends radially through the side of a drum 6 of comparatively large diameter, and is connected to the center of a pipe I which is suitably supported within the drum '6 and coaxially therewith. In the normal operation of the separator, the drum 6 and pipe 7 are supported in substantially horizontal position, the pipe 1 being provided in its lower part with a slot 8 extending throughout the length of the said pipe to effect discharge of gas into the drum 6, as a thin ribbon of gas having substantially the same width as the length of the pipe I.

By spreading the gas entering at relatively high velocity, the gas strikes against the inner surface of the drum 6, and its velocity is reduced considerably because of the large increase in cross sectional area in the drum with respect to that of pipe I transversely of the direction of flow of the ribbon of gas. This spreading of the gas into a thin, wide ribbon assures that every portion of the gas will have intimate impact upon the metal wall of the drum 6. The inertia of the heavier liquid particles in the gas forces them into intimate contact with this metallic surface, and with the immediateabsence of any force to renew their movement in another direction, the particles tend to collect in the lower part of r the drum 6 whence they may be carried off by gravity.

The gas, from which the liquid particles aforesaid have been separated, is conducted by a series of conduits 9 to an adsorption drum it! connected to an outlet system of piping l I The conduits 9 are connected at one of their ends to the upper surface of the drum 6, and are curved so that their other ends extend substantially horizontal for connection to one side of the adsorption drum Ill. While there are three of such conduits illustrated in the drawing, the invention is not limited to any particular numher, since all that is necessary in' this connection is to provide the drum with conducting means large enough to transport the gas efiiciently from one drum to another.

To carry off the separated liquids, the drum 6 is connected by a series of down pipes I 2 to a collecting drum l3 substantially parallel with the drum 6. The drum Ill is also connected by a series of down pipes l3"to a collecting drum l4 arranged substantially parallel to the drum ID. The drums l3 and I 4 are provided with bull plugs l 5 and "5 connected to each other by a pipe I'l. Condensation from the drums l3 and M is removed therefrom through the pipe I! by the steam trap designated generally by the reference numeral [8. A' choke l9, mounted in the pipe I! adjacent thebull plug it, prevents the by-passing of gas downwardly through the lower drum and thence upwardly to the exit piping II. I

The adsorption drum lfi is provided with a foraminous plate 20 extending substantially vertical throughout the length of the drum and located between the axis of the drum and the gas exit formed by the piping II. A second foraminous plate 2|, inclined to the vertical, is mounted in the drum l0 and extends substantially throughout the length thereof across the inlet end of the transverse conduits 9. The lower edge of the plate 2! lies substantially in the plane of the axis of the drum l0 and the axes of the down pipes I 3' to provide passageways 22 for the particles which fall by gravity through the down pipes l3. The lower edge of the plate 2| is also provided with apertured' flanges 23 which fit into the apertures formed in the drum 6 for the purpose of receiving the of the gas ensues at once.

broken brick or other material forming a rough and porous mass through the interstices of which the law velocity gas may pass to the outlet piplng In the operation of this separator, which is primarily designed for use in oil and gas development, the gas entering the inlet pipe 5 at high Velocity impinges against the inner surface of the transverse pipe 1 and spreads lengthwise of that pipe to be discharged as a thin ribbon of gas downwardly through the slot 8. The velocity of the gas is materially reduced. because of the great increase in cross sectional area of the gas conduit formed by the drum 6. The thin ribbon flow assures that every portion of the gas will have intimate impact upon the metal wall of the drum 6. The inertia of the heavier liquid particles in the gas forces them into intimate contact with the surface of said wall; consequently, in the absence of any force to renew their movement in another direction, the liquid particles tend to collect and are carried by gravity through the down pipes l2 into the lower collecting drum IS. The slugs of liquid formed in the drum 6 are thus directed to the lower drums i3; and because of the decrease in velocity of the gas through the drum 6 there is no tendency to entrain anyof these liquid particles and carry them further. It will be observed that as wet gas en ters the distributing pipe I, velocity is immediately reduced. In the particular form shown, in which gas inlet pipe 5 communicates with an intermediate portion of distributing pipe I, inflowing gas'immediately may expand in oppo site directions toward the ends of the pipe I and thus more effectively diminish velocity than as if the gas entered at one end of pipe I. Then, as this retarded gas issues from the longitudinal slot 8 into the drum 6, a considerable expansion The liquid particles immediately impinge against the opposing wall of drum 6 which extends opposite and substantially parallel to the slot. This abruptly terminates the travel of the liquid particles and collects them for continual removal from the drum 6. As shown, for example, in Figure 1, the wall of drum 6 opposite the slot extends upwardly from the point opposite the slot so that every tendency is to minimize further travel of the liquid particles even if there remain any appre- The cross sectional area of flow being materially enlarged through the drum 5 and conduits 9, because of the great increase in cross sectional area of the conducting passageways, reduces the gas velocity so that it passes through the interstices of the adsorption material at such low velocity as to afford an enormous scrubbing action to effect separation of moisture particles from the gas. The adsorption material will absorb liquid from the gas so long as they are of low percentage, or of such percentage that the surfaces of the material is never covered with a film of moisture. The action is such that the surface collects the liquids which, in turn, pass into the center of the adsorption material and collect there as a liquid. When the mass of adsorption material is sufiiciently saturated, the drops of liquid accumulate at the bottom of the adsorption chamber and fall by gravity through the apertures in the flanges 23 and the down pipes l3 into the collecting drum M. The choke I 9 prevents lay-passing of the gas from the drum 6 downwardly through the down pipes IE and lower drum 13 across the pipe i1 and upwardly through the drum l4 and down pipes 13'. The steam trap 18 effects the automatic removal of any condensates which collect in the transverse pipe H.

Having thus fully described my said invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- I A gas separator comprising a series of separator drums, two of the drums being upper drums disposed horizontally, the first of said'drums containing a central distributor pipe slotted along the bottom and at its center containing a gas inlet pipe, a gas conduit leading from the upper side of the first drum into the side of the second upper horizontal drum and a gas outlet pipe leading from the opposite side of the second drum, an outlet at the bottom of the first drum, a gas scrubber interposed in the path of gas flow in the second drum, the gas scrubber having an inclined side to direct fluid downwardly to an outlet at the bottom of the second drum, there being expansion space in the second drum between the gas inlet and the scrubber, and disposed below each of the upper horizontal drums respectively, gas expansion drums, each drum being connected to the outlet at the bottom of its respective upper drum, the bottoms of the lower-drums being connected by a conduit, a liquid outlet opening from the conduit, there being a choke interposed in the said conduit to prevent circulation of gas around the system.

FRANK YOUNG HUTCHISON; 

